U.S. Route 54 in Missouri

Section of U.S. Highway in Missouri

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 54 in Missouri. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 54.

U.S. Route 54

US 54 highlighted in red

Route information
Maintained by MoDOT
Length| 271.508 mi[1] (436.950 km)
Existed| 1927[2]–present
Major junctions
West end|  US-54 at the Kansas state line
Major intersections|

* I-49 in Nevada
* US 65 in Preston
* US 50 / US 63 in Jefferson City
* I-70 in Kingdom City
* US 61 in Bowling Green

East end|  US 54 at the Illinois state line
Location
Country| United States
State| Missouri
Counties| Vernon, Cedar, St. Clair, Hickory, Camden, Miller, Cole, Callaway, Audrain, Ralls, Pike
Highway system

* United States Numbered Highway System

* List
* Special
* Divided

* Missouri State Highway System

* Interstate
* US
* State
* Supplemental

| ←  Route 53| | →  I-55

|
|

U.S. Route 54 (US 54) in Missouri is a west-east highway that runs between the Kansas state line in Nevada, Missouri and the Illinois state line in Louisiana, Missouri.

## Route description

[edit]

US 54 shortly after entering from Kansas

In Missouri, US 54 runs from the southwest portion of the state to the northeast. It is a major conduit through the Ozarks and is the primary access road to Pomme de Terre Lake and Lake of the Ozarks.

After entering the state from neighboring Kansas, the route moves eastward through many rural towns and communities. It passes through Nevada, where it serves as the main access road to the town's business market. In Nevada, the route intersects with I-49 and US 71 as exits 102A and 102B on I-49/US 71. Here, it also passes by the Nevada Municipal Airport. Moving eastward, the route continues through El Dorado Springs, Collins, Weaubleau, and Wheatland where Lucas Oil Speedway is located. It passes through Hermitage and Preston, where it intersects with US 65 at a four-way stop. US 54 intersects northern end of Route 73 then passes through Macks Creek.

A sign designating the Lake of the Ozarks area, seen from US 54 westbound

The route continues eastward and begins to enter the areas surrounding the Lake of the Ozarks, a popular tourist destination and lake. It first crosses over the lake's Niangua Branch near Ha Ha Tonka State Park. It then passes through Camdenton. In Camdenton, the road intersects with MO 5 and MO 7 at an interchange. These routes provide access to Lebanon and I-44. After leaving Camdenton, the route becomes a four-lane divided highway and remains that way to Mexico. US 54 then passes through Linn Creek and enters Osage Beach. The route continues on a new expressway path initially built in 2010 and 2011. It crosses Lake of the Ozarks a second time on the Grand Glaize Bridge. The route then briefly enters Lake Ozark and Lakeland, although access to these towns is only provided by exits from the highway. The route then leaves the Lake of the Ozarks area before bypassing Eldon.

US 54 then goes through Jefferson City, where it crosses US 50 and crosses the Missouri River via the Senator Roy Blunt Bridge and briefly overlaps US 63. Just north of the bridge, it splits then leaves the Ozark Plateau before passing through Fulton, crossing I-70 and US 40 at Kingdom City, passes through Auxvasse, then bypassing Mexico where it turns into a two-lane highway. US 54 then turns right and continues on. Future plans call for passing lanes on US 54 from Mexico to the Missouri town of Louisiana.[3] At a roundabout, US 54 picks up a concurrency with Route 19 and then passes through Laddonia. North of Laddonia, US 54 splits from Route 19 before passing just north of Vandalia, bypasses Bowling Green crossing US 61, and ultimately crossing the Mississippi River via the Champ Clark Bridge into Illinois at Louisiana.

US 54 is a part of the National Highway System, a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility.[4]

## History

[edit]

US 54 was originally formed in Missouri after changing from US 26, however the routing went from Cedar County to Polk County, then Dallas County, then into Camden County. In 1932, the highway was rerouted into Saint Clair County and then Hickory County, and paved over.[2]

In Macks Creeks, a well known speed trap existed on US 54 upon entering the town until 1995 when a law named Macks Creek Law was passed.[5]

In the Lake of the Ozarks area, US 54 was rerouted onto a new 4 lane highway in 2010 and another part of US 54 was rerouted in 2011 in the Lake of the Ozarks area.[6][7] The old US 54 was renamed "Osage Beach Parkway."

The original Champ Clark Bridge opened in 1928. In 2019, a replacement bridge opened and the old one was torn down.

## Junction list

[edit]

All exits are unnumbered.

County| Location| mi[1]| km| Destinations| Notes

|
|
|
|
|

Vernon| Coal Township| 0.000| 0.000|
US-54 west – Fort Scott| Continuation into Kansas
1.807| 2.908|  Route T – Swart|
Deerfield| 5.807| 9.345|  Route H – Richards|
Deerfield Township| 9.805| 15.780|  Route 43 – Moundville, Bronaugh|
Nevada| 14.071| 22.645|  Route BB / Route W|
14.562| 23.435|
I-49 BL north (Osage Boulevard)| Western end of Loop 49 overlap
15.056| 24.230|
I-49 BL south (Austin Boulevard)| Eastern end of Loop 49 overlap
15.864–
15.883| 25.531–
25.561|  I-49 / US 71 – Joplin, Kansas City| I-49 exit 102A
Walker Township| 21.782| 35.055|  Route C – Walker|
Clear Creek Township| 27.439| 44.159|  Route K – Nevada|
27.650| 44.498|  Route AA – Schell City|
Cedar| Box Township| 31.173| 50.168|  Route HH – Virgil City|
El Dorado Springs| 33.673| 54.191|  Route 82 – Osceola|
34.215| 55.064|  Route 32 – Stockton|
Cedar Township| 40.832| 65.713|  Route 39 / Route DD – Stockton|
St. Clair| Roscoe Township| 45.899| 73.867|  Route K|
Washington Township| 50.082| 80.599|  Route V – Vista|
51.687| 83.182|  Route J – Stockton|
​| 53.832| 86.634|  Route PP – Stockton|
Collins| 56.578| 91.053|  Route 13 – Humansville, Osceola|
56.756| 91.340|
Route 13 Bus.|
​| 59.466| 95.701|  Route MM|
Hickory| Weaubleau| 61.246| 98.566|  Route 123 – Humansville|
Weaubleau Township| 62.857| 101.159|  Route H|
Montgomery Township| 65.101| 104.770|  Route AA|
67.333| 108.362|  Route 83 – Warsaw| Western end of Route 83 concurrency
Wheatland| 71.367| 114.854|  Route 83 / Route B – Bolivar| Eastern end of Route 83 concurrency
Hermitage| 76.298| 122.790|  Route 254 – Galmey|
Center Township| 77.488| 124.705|  Route U – Cross Timbers|
Preston| 82.203| 132.293|  Route D|
82.697| 133.088|  US 65 – Urbana, Cross Timbers|
Stark Township| 85.157| 137.047|  Route F|
Camden| Branch| 93.976| 151.240|  Route 73 – Tunas, Buffalo|
Macks Creek| 97.224| 156.467|  Route O / Route W|
97.326| 156.631|  Route N – Climax Springs|
Russell Township| 101.301| 163.028|  Route J / Route U|
​| 104.956| 168.910|  Route AA|
Niangua Township| 107.780| 173.455|  Route D| Access to Ha Ha Tonka State Park
Camdenton| 110.243| 177.419|
Route 5 Bus.|
110.934–
110.954| 178.531–
178.563|  Route 5 / Route 7 – Sunrise Beach, Lebanon| Interchange
Linn Creek| 112.745| 181.445|  Route V – Hugo|
Osage Township| 114.074| 183.584|  Route A – Richland| J-turn intersection
116.148| 186.922|  Route Y| Interchange
Osage Beach| 118.900| 191.351|  Route KK| West end of freeway; access to Grand Glaize-Osage Beach Airport
119.607| 192.489|  Nichols Road| Access to Lake Regional Hospital
120.807| 194.420| Case Road| Access to Lake of the Ozarks State Park
121.571| 195.650| Business 54 (Jefferies Road to Osage Beach Parkway)| No westbound entrance
121.819| 196.049| Grand Glaize Bridge over the Lake of the Ozarks
122.675| 197.426| Business 54 (Passover Road to Osage Beach Parkway)| Southern terminus of US 54 Business
124.283| 200.014|  Route 42 / Business 54 (Osage Beach Parkway)| Western terminus of Route 42; access to Lake of the Ozarks State Park
124.487| 200.342| Creek Cove Lane| Right-in/right-out interchange; westbound exit and entrance only
Miller| Lake Ozark| 126.211| 203.117|  Route 242 (Bagnell Dam Boulevard)

To Route 5 – Sunrise Beach| East end of freeway
129.045| 207.678|  Route W – Bagnell Dam, Lake Ozark| interchange replacing an intersection opened April 21, 2021[8][9]
Franklin Township| 130.059| 209.310|  Route V – Bagnell|
136.583| 219.809|

US 54 Bus. north / Route 52 – Eldon, Tuscumbia| Interchange
Eldon| 139.738| 224.887|  Route 87 / Route M – Eldon| Interchange; Access to Saline Valley Conservation Area
140.901| 226.758|
US 54 Bus. – Eldon| Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
​| 142.277| 228.973|  Route FF – Mount Pleasant|
​| 145.180| 233.645|  Route MM|
Saline Township| 148.289| 238.648|  Route AA – Russellville|
Cole| Clark Township| 149.156| 240.043|  Route 17 – Eugene, Fort Leonard Wood| Interchange
Brazito| 155.930| 250.945|  Route E – Wardsville, Henley|
​| 157.906| 254.125|  Route D – Lohman|
​| 163.155| 262.573|  Route CC|
Jefferson City| 165.064| 265.645|  Route 179 / Route B – Wardsville| West end of freeway; access to SSM St. Mary’s Health Center
166.231| 267.523|  Route C (Southwest Boulevard) / Ellis Boulevard|
167.231| 269.132|  Stadium Boulevard / Tanner Bridge Road / Jefferson Street| Access to Lincoln University and Capital Region Medical Center
167.271| 269.197|  Madison Street| Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; access to Business District and Capital Region Medical Center
168.188| 270.672|
US 50 Bus. (Missouri Boulevard)| Access to the Missouri State Capitol
168.444| 271.084|
US 50 / US 63 south – St. Louis, Sedalia| Western end of US 63 concurrency
168.534| 271.229| McCarty Street| Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
168.726| 271.538| Main Street| Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access to the Missouri State Capitol
Cole–Callaway
county line| 168.821–
168.950| 271.691–
271.899| Jefferson City Bridge over the Missouri River
Callaway| 169.582| 272.916|  Route W| Access to Jefferson City Memorial Airport
170.036| 273.646|
US 63 north / Route 94 – Columbia, Mokane| Eastern end of US 63 concurrency
Summit Township| 170.965| 275.141| Summit Drive| Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Holts Summit| 173.995| 280.018| Center Street|
175.215| 281.981|  Route OO / Route AA – Holts Summit|
Cedar Township| 178.492| 287.255|  Route AE / Route TT|
New Bloomfield| 180.184| 289.978|  Route J (Redwood Drive) / CR 436 – Guthrie| East end of freeway
East Fulton Township| 184.830| 297.455|  Route BB – Dixie|
Fulton| 189.020| 304.198|
Route H / US 54 Bus. – Fulton| Interchange
190.944| 307.295|  Route F – Millersburg, Fulton| Interchange; access to Historic Downtown Fulton, Westminster College, Fulton Medical Center, the National Churchill Museum, the Missouri School for the Deaf, and Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area
193.017| 310.631|  Route HH| Interchange; access to William Woods University
194.510| 313.034|
US 54 Bus. – Fulton| Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Kingdom City| 198.277–
198.290| 319.096–
319.117|  I-70 / US 40 – Columbia, St. Louis| I-70 exit 148; future Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI)[10]
198.616| 319.641|  Route FF|
203.729| 327.870|  Route T|
Auxvasse| 204.819| 329.624|  Route B (Harrison Street) / Route E – Montgomery City, Hatton| Interchange
Audrain| Salt River Township| 208.453| 335.473|  Route HH|
Mexico| 211.877| 340.983|

US 54 Bus. / Route 15 north / Route 22 west to Route D – Mexico| Interchange
Vandiver| 216.380| 348.230|

US 54 Bus. south – Mexico| Access to the Missouri Military Academy
216.992| 349.215|  Route JJ|
Linn Township| 220.6299| 355.0694|  Route A – Benton City|
222.683| 358.374|  Route B – Rush Hill|
226.672–
226.756| 364.793–
364.928|  Route 19 / Route BB – Martinsburg, Wellsville, Montgomery City| Western end of Route 19 concurrency; roundabout
Laddonia| 231.805| 373.054|  Route K / Route KK|
Prairie Township| 234.853| 377.959|  Route 19 / Route J – Perry, New London| Eastern end of Route 19 concurrency; roundabout
Farber| 238.477| 383.792|  Route AA|
238.648| 384.067|  Route PP|
Vandalia| 243.167| 391.339|  Route P – Center|
243.805| 392.366|  Route F / Route W|
Ralls
| No major junctions
Pike| Spencer Township| 248.664| 400.186|  Route 154 – Perry, Paris|
Curryville| 252.279| 406.004|  Route E / Route M|
​| 254.816| 410.087|  Route U|
Bowling Green| 258.291| 415.679|
US 54 Bus. – Bowling Green|
259.630| 417.834|
US 61 Bus.|
260.144–
260.161| 418.661–
418.689|
US 61 (Avenue of the Saints) – Hannibal, St. Louis|
Tarrants| 261,171| 420,314|
US 54 Bus. – Bowling Green|
Buffalo Township| 267.574| 430.619|  Route UU – Bowling Green|
268.122| 431.501|  Route NN|
Louisiana| 271.194| 436.444|
Route 79 / Great River Road north – Hannibal| Western end of Route 79/Great River Road concurrency
271.444| 436.847|
Route 79 / Great River Road south – Clarksville| Eastern end of Route 79/Great River Road concurrency
Mississippi River| 271.508| 436.950| Champ Clark Bridge; Missouri–Illinois line

US 54 east – Pittsfield| Continuation into Illinois
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

* Concurrency terminus
* Incomplete access

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Missouri Department of Transportation (April 29, 2020). MoDOT HPMAPS (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
2. ^ a b "Hwy 54 History | Discover More on Route 54". Retrieved January 23, 2016.
3. ^ "U.S. Route 54 Environmental Impact Study in Ralls, Pike, and Audrain | Missouri Department of Transportation". www.modot.org. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
4. ^ "National Highway System Maps | Missouri Department of Transportation". www.modot.org. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
5. ^ "St. Louis Post-Dispatch 09 Oct 2014, page Page A006". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
6. ^ Transportation, Missouri Department of. "New routes to open tonight on Highway 54 Expressway". LakeExpo.com. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
7. ^ Dabbs/LakeExpo.com, Janet. "New 54 and 242: So what happens next?". LakeExpo.com. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
8. ^ "New Route 54 interchange in Lake Ozark opens Wednesday, April 21". OzarkFirst.com. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
9. ^ "2020 Miller County Route 54/Osage Hills Road Interchange". Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
10. ^ "I-70/Route 54 Kingdom City Interchange | Missouri Department of Transportation". www.modot.org. Retrieved 2023-06-19.

## External links

[edit]

KML file (edit • help)

Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 54 in Missouri

KML is not from Wikidata

U.S. Route 54

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*[mi]: Miles
*[km]: Kilometers